[Reportbug-maint] Bug#637053: reportbug: having option to show http://release.debian.org/wheezy/rc_policy.txt when at severity selection would be useful

[Daniel Dickinson]

Package: reportbug
Version: 5.1.1
Severity: wishlist


As a user I am frequently asked to assign a severity, and until I was pointed to the page I had to rely on (faulty) memory of what was RC due to Debian Policy (for some reason I though almost all packaging bugs were, but I was misremembering something I had read, as well as confusing must and should directives).  Having access to the page mentioned (http://release.debian.org/wheezy/rc_policy.txt) at severity selection would be helpful in assigning a severity correctly (assuming the user isn't in 'it's severe to me' mode).

For the panicked user, it might also be useful to remind the user to take a breath and try to calmly assess whether it is a for a wide base of users, and that a high severity doesn't get faster action, just downgraded and creates administrative hassle (work), if it's not actually a bug of the mentioned severity.

<rant>
Although for some bugs, there's tendency to use the arguement it's not part of the base system so you must be advanced enough to solve the problem, which is simply wrong, especially if the system was built by someone else who doesn't live close by.  E.g. I build system for friends and family, and have given away system.  I got frustrated with Ubuntu's instability and decided to distribute what I use for myself, but when some developer attitudes are frustrating for system intended for end users.
</rant>


-- Package-specific info:
** Environment settings:
EMAIL="daniel at cshore.neomailbox.net"
INTERFACE="text"

** /home/daniel/.reportbugrc:
reportbug_version "5.1.1"
mode standard
ui text
no-cc
header "X-Debbugs-CC: daniel at cshore.neomailbox.net"
smtphost reportbug.debian.org

-- System Information:
Debian Release: wheezy/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (500, 'testing'), (100, 'stable-updates'), (100, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.39-2-amd64 (SMP w/4 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_CA.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_CA.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages reportbug depends on:
ii  apt                           0.8.15.2   Advanced front-end for dpkg
ii  python                        2.6.7-1    interactive high-level object-orie
ii  python-reportbug              5.1.1      Python modules for interacting wit

reportbug recommends no packages.

Versions of packages reportbug suggests:
ii  debconf-utils                1.5.40      debconf utilities
ii  debsums                      2.0.48+nmu3 tool for verification of installed
ii  dlocate                      1.02        fast alternative to dpkg -L and dp
ii  emacs23-bin-common           23.3+1-1    The GNU Emacs editor's shared, arc
ii  exim4                        4.76-2      metapackage to ease Exim MTA (v4) 
ii  exim4-daemon-light [mail-tra 4.76-2      lightweight Exim MTA (v4) daemon
ii  file                         5.04-5+b1   Determines file type using "magic"
ii  gnupg                        1.4.11-3    GNU privacy guard - a free PGP rep
ii  python-gtk2                  2.24.0-2    Python bindings for the GTK+ widge
ii  python-gtkspell              2.25.3-10.1 Python bindings for the GtkSpell l
pn  python-urwid                 <none>      (no description available)
ii  python-vte                   1:0.28.1-2  Python bindings for the VTE widget
ii  xdg-utils                    1.1.0~rc1-2 desktop integration utilities from

-- no debconf information